Saying Good Bye Again
by chakragoddess
Summary: A ToshiroxKarin HitsuKarin one-shot.  This is them as an older couple and he is leaving her to return to Soul Society after a visit.  A contest entry for HitsugayaXKarin on dA.  Rated T for the overall situation.


Karin woke up from a deep slumber. She glanced over at the clock. _4:23am? Ugh! _Then she noticed the body that lay behind her and the arm that was currently holding her around the waist. _He's still here._ She turned to face her boyfriend, who was spending the night with her. She examined his face while he lay sleeping beside her.

Karin Kurosaki was now 23 years old and was a college senior studying medicine at Karakura University. Up until this time, her life had never been a normal one – but she had gotten used to it and even enjoyed it to a certain degree. The unusual nature of her life included her best friend and boyfriend who lay beside her.

They had met over 10 years ago in this very town. At that time, she was a tomboy-soccer-playing-elementary student and he was….well, he was a mysterious youth who assisted her in a soccer game that would help her and her friends get access back to the only local official soccer field. She had been surprised as hell when she found out rather quickly after meeting him that he was, in fact, a Shinigami – and a taicho to boot. He had saved her from a hollow who attacked her and her friends right after their big soccer victory. It was that day when she first learned who he was – it was that day when he first piqued her interest.

Karin always knew she was different, but it was the next few months that she learned just how different. She saw ghosts all the time and could even 'deal' with some of them on her own. She learned her brother was also a Shinigami and could leave his body at any time to go battle in his ghostly form which hardly anyone else could see. She learned about the Soul Society and about the Shinigami who lived there and how they would come back to the world of the living every so often for one reason or another. By the time she was 15, Karin was an old pro at this very unusual kind of life and she had accepted the fact that this is just who she and her friends and family were.

Karin looked up and noted that the sky was just beginning to turn pink in the eastern sky. _I really need to go back to sleep. Today's going to be a long day if I don't get some more shut-eye._

Karin's attention turned back to the man in the bed with her. She gently wiped the low hanging silver hair from his forehead…she smiled.

Her thoughts turned to the times they spent in Karakura Town together – first as friends, and then as a couple. They had actually become very good friends, especially when she went with him to see Granny Haru when he was in world of the living. He would even spend the night at her house while he was in town. They always had to deal with the teasing from Karin's entire family who seemed to think that they were a couple. The funny thing was...at the time, they were not.

Before she knew it, Karin was in high school and still found herself being visited often by the Shinigami taicho. He now came to watch her play soccer on her school's team instead of helping her rag-tag bunch of friends battle it out in unofficial neighborhood games.

Karin had slowly and secretly developed a deep caring for her friend who would come to visit her now and again. But it wasn't until her high school graduation that they finally became a couple. That was just about four years ago now. Often she would stare at him and wonder what was ultimately going to happen to them. After all, they were from two completely separate worlds. If they decided to remain together, it would never be as a standard husband and wife – living together, having jobs and kids…a typical normal life. She knew that they would always be separated and that their only time together would be the time he could get away from his duties. To be honest though, she had thought long and hard about that before she ever said 'yes' to dating him. Now, she felt like she couldn't live without him, even if his presence was a bit intermittent and unexpected.

_Toshiro…._

He was awake, but did not open his eyes. He just laid there, enjoying her proximity. Toshiro Hitsugaya's leave was coming to an end and he would have to say good-bye once again. He wanted to relish the remaining time they had together so he just concentrated on her hand stroking his hair for the time being.

There was a lot in his head on this particular visit. He tried to push the guilt and desire out of his psyche and just tried to enjoy the last few moments he had. Toshiro felt so lucky to have Karin in his life. But he also knew how unfair it was to her for them to be together. She would often have to reinforce her feelings for him when he would get too unsure of pursuing their relationship any further. She would assure him that this was what she wanted as well no matter how much it hurt her for them to be apart.

Toshiro thought back to that day four years ago when the two of them sat next to each other at his favorite spot by the roadside. It was the first place he ever saw her, brash and demanding as she was. The Karin from four years ago was so much more grown up than the Karin who was 11 when they first met. She had matured into an athletic, yet still gorgeous, young lady. He had matured as well, but still felt like he was out of her league. Yet here she was, still by his side whenever he was in the world of the living.

They sat there together talking about life and what the future might bring as the sun slowly set over the horizon. They talked for hours on that particular night and it was pitch black before Toshiro finally noted that he thought it best that they return to her home.

"But Toshiro, I'm really enjoying being here….with you," she said to him.

That's when he had had enough of the romantic tension between them and he finally gathered the courage to lunge forward and kiss her passionately. That kiss was among the best they had ever shared and was a fond memory for both of them.

He thought back to her first year of college. She had moved out of her home and into the dorms, which would make avoiding her family much easier than if she had stayed at home. She decided to become a doctor which meant eight more years of schooling plus additional on-the-job training after that. He recalled being truly inspired by her dedication and fervor to her major and chosen career path. She wanted to help people and thought being a doctor would be the best fit for her.

The last three years whizzed by. Toshiro would drop by when he could and they would spend almost every minute he could spare with her.

"Toshiro," she whispered to him, thinking he was still asleep.

She leaned over and kissed his still lips.

"Hm?" he answered.

"I think it's time," Karin said to him.

His eyes flickered open and he looked out at the eastern sky which was now bright with the low-hanging morning sun. He could make out a busty shadow staring at the window to Karin's dorm room.

"Rangiku's waiting for you," said Karin.

"So she is," he replied.

He slithered out of bed leaving his love still sitting on the mattress. He bent down and kissed her once more.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" she asked, hoping there was already a trip in the works.

"Sorry, I don't," he replied.

She smiled, knowing that this was just part of the package she had agreed to when they had gotten together.

"I do have something for you though," Toshiro said. "I'm not the best at this stuff and I know you'll need time to think it over…."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just promise me you'll think it over," he replied.

"S-sure," was all she could say, still completely lost in what he was trying to imply.

He kissed her one last time and flash-stepped away leaving her sitting there in bed. She looked down and she now held a small black box in her hand. She opened it to find a ring.

_Oh Toshiro…_


End file.
